Water quality at Malibu Beach

     This week I was stationed at Malibu Beach in Dorchester. By its proximity to the neighborhood and clean waters, it was an amazing area to be on the sand. We started off our week by attempting to operate air drones which resulted in Caroline having multiple cuts from the blade of one of the propellers and my newfound fear for flying objects. Our job this week was to create an interactive video for kids to watch at home revolving around water quality. Water quality is extremely important for everyone to be aware of because of how greatly it can affect us and the organisms around us. If water quality is poor it can result in health defects and even death. The cleanest public beaches in Massachusetts include Pleasure Bay, M Street, Nantasket, City Point, Carson, Nahant and Revere Beach all scoring over a 95% average in cleanliness. Among the lowest, King's and Tenean beach suffer at an average of 81%. Overall, beaches can struggle with cleanliness due to climate change and the excess CO2 in the atmosphere. As the ocean is responsible by absorbing 30% of CO2 the marine wildlife suffers greatly. Specifically at Malibu Beach, it is one of the few beaches that allow boating only a couple of hundred feet away from the swimming area. The exhaust from the pipes and the harsh chemicals from the oil can contaminate the water nearby. Malibu Beach is also within walking distance from the Route 1 highway, the car exhaust nearby could also be a contributing factor into the cleanliness of the beach. Also, environmental injustice could be another factor in the beaches' cleanliness. Depending on the average income of an area, the surrounding environment can suffer as the area may be filled with corner stores that supply cigarettes and other harmful products that are littered throughout local areas such as beaches. These areas are less likely to be cleaned up due to the overwhelming amount of clutter on the beach and the likelihood that these low-income populations are working towards a higher paying job and do not have the time to clean up their environment. Growing up in these harmful environments can lead to health problems as their drinking water will also suffer.

    Going forward I would like to be more aware of my surroundings and the trash that I produce so I do not spread it onto the beach. I will also encourage my friends and family to carpool with each other in order to lessen their carbon footprints. Taking my own personal circle to explore the beaches in the area will make them more aware of the clutter and the environmental injustice that happens in Boston.

We work to set up the drone for lift-off!

The Malibu Terrain is home to both greenery and sand.

Sea you soon!

Regina

Water Quality Report Card. (n.d.). Retrieved August 07, 2020, from https://www.savetheharbor.org/reportcard